Synthesis of our RI Strategic Plan Notes



To prepare to do research on educational issues related to reform, we worked in small groups to read and understand the Rhode Island Strategic Plan developed by the Rhode Island Department of Education. The plan is organized around five objectives:

Here are our combined notes:

The Impact statement:All educators will be effective and committed to accelerating student performance
By 2012 75% of educators will be evaluating using a rigorous performance evaluation that includes student achievement data

By 2015 All students will be supported by educators who demonstrate effective performance


definitions of key termslacking definitions.

objective requirements for teacher performance:

Data-driven decisions:

Performance-based evaluations:

Professional development outcomes:

strategies:




Why? You the reason that these strategies and goals are so important to education than any single teacher can make an extreme difference in students the with the positive or negative right now there are limits to its associate with teacher performance and those some within the educational system we need to be updated. This is the policy attempt to with a variety of systems, including assessment and data-driven decisions. All you

Goals- "All educators will be effective and committed to accelerating student performance"
"By 2012, 75% of educators will be evaluated using a rigorous performance evaluation that includes student achievement data."
"By 2015 all students will be supported by educators who demonstrate effective performance."
Purpose
Objectives/Strategies
Effects on our Districts


Goal :Accelerate All Schools Toward Greatness

  • By 2012 75% of educators will be evaluated using a rigorous performance evaluation that
includes student achievement data.
  • By 2015 all students will be supported by educators who demonstrate effective performance.

Definitions: What is/are...?

  • "Greatness"-Reaching all of the goals of the school.
  • "Proficiency"-meeting the expectations of the skills the students are required to learn
  • Early learning "programs"-Programs that provide the basic skills students need to be prepared to go to school, for students at age three to Kindergarden.
  • "Achievement gaps"-

Purpose:

-Why Bother:

  • 47,000 students aren't attending schools meeting improvement targets
  • Proficiency in everything but reading is way too low in our opinion
  • Reading is also too low but not as bad as science or math.
  • Early learning programs:
    • What was wrong to begin with? Answer not provided.
  • to provide multiple pathways (college career)
  • development of leaders

Strategies:

  • Achievement gaps:
    • establish state expectations
    • Monitoring systems for effectiveness
  • Student Health and Well Being
    • establish state expectations
    • availability
    • monitor
  • development of leaders
    • recruit, prepare and place
    • develop leadership program
    • professional development
    • seek funding
    • track performance

Critical questions:

  • Before making expectations, what is "proficient"? When the students meet the expectations they are required to learn
  • What is the goal/expectation for health/well being?
  • What EXACTLY (not generally) will be done?


Establish World-Class Standards and Assessment

GOALS
  • Going to review the NECAP and revise them if necessary (if harder less kids will graduate, if easier more kids will graduate)
  • want assessment system to be aligned with national common course standards
  • going to implement a curriculum in reading, writing, math, and science
  • Strengthen programs for ELL

PURPOSE
  • so that everyone has an equal chance
  • are we doing a good job teaching

OBJECTIVES
  • graduating and meeting standards
  • comprehensive assessment system for Pre-K - 12

EFFECTS ON OUR DISTRICT
  • More schools passing the AYP Report
  • Better Reputation

POSSIBLE PROBLEMS
  • standardized tests are biased
  • no clear strategy on how they are going to accomplish this
  • extremely vague
  • everyone in the community has a different idea of what is fair


Authors: Robert, Amanda, Junie, Caterina

Developing User Friendly Data Systems


Goal:
Rhode Island will have a data-driven culture of education decision-making.

Purpose:
Through the use of analyzing data we would improve student achievement, teacher effectiveness, and allow parents to be more involved in the education of their children.

Objectives/Strategies:
1. Improve the availability and accessibility of accurate data on student, teacher, school, and LEA performance.
  • Create tools to provide access to user-friendly data
  • Engage and educate the public
2. Ensure that the data and technology infrastructure support the sharing of high quality data, accessible in real time and are able to promote continuous improvement.
  • Integrate statewide data systems into a single, comprehensive unit





1. By 2012 every Rhode Islander will be able to access user-friendly data on student achievement and school and LEA (Local Education Agency/District) performance in their community.
2. By 2015 we will use this data to improve student, classroom, school, and district improvement.

Definitions:
LEA-Local Education Agency
User Groups - The intended audience for the data to be presented to. These objectives aim to cater to specific groups.
Stakeholders/Key Partners - Allow government and funding agencies to evaluate data and implement their own changes.

Strategies:

1. Construct a single major database that combines all of the statistics from preK - Grade 12
2. Create a quality rubric to ensure the data is being presented correctly
3. Allow educators and researchers to access the data to create ways to improve.
4. Provide professional development and guidance based on the data
5. Train people in the community how to interpret the data (Seems like a waste of money).

Why Bother?

Rather than use data to the extent this objective wants, they should focus more on the environmental aspects. A statistic does not demonstrate the environment in which a child learns, only how they perform in that environment.

Questions:

Who is recording the data and processing it?


Ruqayya, Rachel S.
Alyssa, Danielle, Melissa, Alex

Invest Our Resources Wisely

Definitions:
  • Student Achievement- what is it based on?
  • Four Principals: Equity, accountability, effectiveness, stewardship
    • Equity- a form of funding education that balances the funds and distributes them equally to schools and students regardless of race or school status.
    • Accountability-
  • Whats the appropriate way to invest resources?

Strategies
  • Funding formula
  • Central data collection system
  • Aggressively seek funding
  • Create tools to guide innovation and cost efficiency
  • Evaluate the tools for actual savings

Questions:
What is being consolidated?

Central Points
  • Student Achievement- what does it mean?
  • How are they going to invest resources? What is the 'appropriate' way?
  • Four Principals